Paths to a Dream
by periodic-prose
Summary: After the war, Athrun and Cagalli take a midnight walk, and discuss a certain decision that was made. [OneShot AxC]


**Okay, I know I said I was taking a break this week. I'm moving it to next week. I'll explain at the bottom. Takes place, once more, after GSD.**

* * *

Moonlight flowed through the gap between the gently billowing curtains, into the dark room, illuminating the face of the sleeping figure on the bed, eyes still shut. It was a modest room: Opposite the bed was the bathroom. A bed stand and the window were to the right, and to the left, three doors. One that opened into the hallway, one that opened into a walk in closet, and finally, the other opened into another room. There was also a dresser, that stood against a wall that had a small box sitting on it. 

Outside, a twig suddenly snapped and fell, knocking against all a few branches on its way down. Startled, the sleeping figure's eyes snapped open. Warily, surveying the room, the person slowing got up clutching the blanket to her chest.

Cagalli frowned. "Guess it was nothing..." She mumbled, swinging her legs off the bed and walking towards the window to close it. However, upon reaching the window she paused, and looked outside. The window faced her private beach, and this was her private beach house. And currently, she was in her, private bedroom. Staring outside for another minute, she turned and strolled over to her closet, quickly changing into a pair of light grey shorts and a pale blue tank top.

Walking out of her closet, she gently strolled over to the box on her dresser and opened it, taking something out and pocketing it. Then she shot a quick glance at the door that opened into another room. Slowly padding quickly towards it, she gently opened it a crack, just large enough to fit an eye, and peered inside. There, on another bed, lay another sleeping figure, which looked much like how she looked, only moments ago: even facing the same direction. The only difference being that, this sleeping figure was on the left side of the bed, and she slept on the right.

Checking to make sure the person was still asleep, she gently closed the door, and let go of the doorknob, very slowly. She then turned to the other door that opened into the hallway and took off.

* * *

Athrun's eyes snapped open, after hearing the sound of his door close. Turning abruptly, he watched his doorknob turn very slowly, and listened to the sound of footsteps grow increasingly distant. Curious, he hopped out of his bed, and grabbed a random dark green shirt, and buttoned it loosely, leaving the top and collar button closed, then opened the door that had just closed and peered inside. 

Empty.

Cagalli's room was empty.

Just as he expected. Smiling, he left the door between their rooms open and strolled into the hallway. Checking both ways, to see if she was there, he shrugged and began heading towards the beach, where he was sure he would find her.

* * *

Cagalli walked slowly along the beach, just where the waves ended, so that the ocean lapped just up to her ankles. Occasionally, she kicked at a stray rock or a renegade shell, but in general, kept her slow and steady pace. 

Suddenly, everything went dark as she felt two hands cover her eyes. Panicking she reached back and tried to flip her assailant over her head, so she could make a break for it.

And then… her assailant…

Poked her.

Right on the side… where she was ticklish…

And since there was only one person in the world that knew she happened to be ticklish at that exact spot…

She jumped from the poke and sighed. "All right. All right. What do you want?"

"What are you doing out here, alone, at 1 am?"

Cagalli sighed and turned to face the man whose hair was the color of a clear night sky.

"Midnight walk. Couldn't resist." She smiled.

Athrun placed his hands in his pockets and nodded. "Okay then, let's get walking." Cagalli hurried to follow him.

"Did you have trouble sleeping?" He inquired worriedly. "Something bothering you?"

"Ah, no. Just the usual stuff. Something fell outside my window and woke me up, and then I just couldn't go back to sleep." She sighed, well aware of his worry. It was sweet, and to an extent, welcome. But at the same time, she didn't want him losing sleep with her, because of her.

"Problems with the council?" He pressed, still worried.

"No no. I try not to worry about that. This is supposed to be my vacation." She sighed.

Athrun regarded her for a moment, reading her face. Her eyes looked exhausted, with a hint of exasperation. Her mouth was curved into a sad smile. her head was bent slightly... She was tired. And wanted rest.

"Our vacation." He began, looking out towards the dark sea. She turned to him curiously. "This is supposed to be our vacation."

Her eyes weakened into a smile and she nodded. "Short though. We haven't really done much."

Cagalli paused for a moment, regarding a large rock bed that jutted out in the middle of the sea. It was a few meters away from them, just large enough to sit on. Wading out towards it, she hopped up onto it, and sat down on the damp stone, playing with the waves that ran up to greet her. Athrun follow her, and soon after took his seat beside her.

"I suppose it hasn't gotten any easier?" Athrun smiled.

"Not really." She frowned. "People are still stubborn, and never willing to compromise. Then they dump all these stuff on me."

"That's because you're strong." He encouraged.

"It has nothing to do with being strong. It has to do with being a friggen guinea pig. They just throw this stuff at me, to see whether or not it'll work. Let's try this. Let's try that. Ugh, MAKE UP YOUR MIND!" She shouted, growing increasingly loud. Her hands tugged at her messy blond hair in frustration, the last few words echoing out to sea. She stopped abruptly and looked at Athrun.

"Sorry." She frowned. "I know... you were just trying to help."

He sighed. "I understand... Look everyone wants the same thing. Everyone wants peace in some way. I mean, when people actually want to wreak havoc, that's when real problems appear. But right now, everyone wants a resolution."

Cagalli looked and him and smiled. "I know... sometimes it just seems impossible that they could possibly be striving for the same thing though. What with such different approaches..."

"Well... that's the thing. Everyone's trying to get to the same thing. They just all have different ideas on how to get there."

"VERY different" Cagalli snorted. Athrun smiled sympathetically.

"Think of it this way. There's this one place, one thing that they're trying to get to. That's like a dream. But there are an endless number of ways, of paths, that you can take to get there. Some of them, might not get you there, and some of them will. Some of them are harder, some of them collide, it's just a huge mess. But everyone has their own idea, own path that they want to take. And so when people want to take different paths, there is conflict." He signed.

"But everyone has their own path." Cagalli interrupted thoughtfully. "Everyone has their own way of doing things. There isn't one right way. It depends of the person."

"And sometimes, when the paths people have to take are different, they have to separate." Athrun smiled. "But it's okay. Because in the end, they're all heading for the same place. So they'll meet again anyways."

Cagalli's eyes widened, as she realized what he was talking about... They had never really talked about it: That day when he'd left her for a second time. They always just assumed the other understood.

And the best part...

Was that they did.

Cagalli's heart lurched forward, and she put her hand on Athrun's, loving how his eyes widened a tiny bit from her sudden loving movement. A layer of water was forming in her eyes, she could feel it, and yet she still smiled.

"I had to stay behind... To lead the people of ORB down ORB's path." She choked out, her hand tightening around his. Athrun softly flipped his hand and gave her trembling fingers a reassuring squeeze.

"I know…" He stated simply. "But my path was not in ORB. I'm a soldier, not a politician. My path was that of the battlefield."

"But we were going for the same place." Cagalli noted happily.

"And here we are." Athrun smiled.

"But did we make it?" Cagalli asked with a hint of frustration lining her voice. "It doesn't feel like it. The war's over but... there are still problems."

"Well, we're done the first part." Athrun sighed, clearly fatigued. "But there are still more dreams, and more paths to walk." His eyes wandered to her direction, where she was facing the sea and smiling sadly.

"Athrun... I'm sorry I had to take it off."

"I knew this would come up sometime." He chuckled. Cagalli smacked his arm lightly.

"It's not funny!"

"But it's not necessary either. I know...That, was not the time for our selfish romance. You wanted me to feel free walking my path. You didn't want to hold me back." He said matter-of-factly.

Cagalli began digging in her pocket for something. Athrun raised a curious eyebrow, when suddenly, the ring was produced.

"I try to keep it with me now..." Cagalli blushed lightly. "Just… I mean. Should I wear it now? Do you mind?..." Athrun sighed, clearly touched. He removed her hands from hers and wrapped it around her shoulders in a warm embrace.

"That ring, like my heart, belongs to you. You may do as you like with it."

Cagalli blushed and elbowed him playfully in the ribs. "Quit being corny."

"Alll right." He chuckled, smiling at how she promptly slipped the ring back onto her finger. Gently, she let her head fall onto his shoulder and breathed calmly. After a long moment of silence, Cagalli spoke up.

"Athrun? Can we walk our next path together?"

He let out a long sigh and nuzzled his head against hers' affectionately. "We'll see... I don't know for sure. I can't tell the future..."

Cagalli mouth curled into an knowing smile. "But as long as we're still going towards the same dream... then in the end..."

Athrun nodded slowly and stroked her arm. "Yeah... In the end..."

_"I'll be with you..."_

* * *

**This is a response to the retaliation to episode 45 of GSD. I actually, kind of support it. All in all, it wasn't horrible episode and both Athrun and Cagalli did what they had to do. Athrun's place is not an office, and Cagalli's is not a battlefield. At this point, there was no way she could launch and still be considered a responsible leader.**

**When Uzumi died, he specifically told Cagalli to stop acting like a child and start taking responsibility. If she were to launch in space, that would be childish and impulsive. She chose to stay behind. this doesn't mean that they've broken up, merely that in order to achieve the same dream, they must take different paths. **

**And because in the end, they're heading for the same place, they'll see each other there. **


End file.
